Gunnar Optics

A while back I learned of a product called Gunnars, which are basically high-tech glasses for those who work on computers.  I've had a pair of Gunnars now for about 3 months and this is my review.

First a little background.  For people such as myself who work on computers all day, we face health issues - the best known is carpal tunnel syndrome.  Well, if you believe the marketing engine behind Gunnars then there is another hazard out there in the form of harsh lighting conditions.  Most computer users have made the switch from the old analog CRT monitors to the newer flat panel monitors.  One unseen downside to this switch is the light quality of these monitors.  All flat panels (except plasmas) use either tiny fluorescent tubes of LEDs as the light source.  Both of these light sources do not produce consistent warm light but have a large spike in the blue spectrum of light.  To make matters worse, most offices are illuminated with overhead fluorescent lights.  So the user is being bombarded with strong blue-light all day long.  So far all of this is fact, not some marketing spin.  Fluorescent and LEDs do emit disproportionately high levels of blue light, and blue light carries the most "energy" and would therefore be the hardest for your eyes to process.

Now, Gunnars claim their glasses cut down on this blue light which in turn reduces eye-strain.  But the big question is, do they actually deliver?  After 3 months I can say the answer is most definitely yes!  Right from the beginning I could feel a difference. Before Gunnars, at the end of the work day my eyes were tired and strained, but with Gunnars my eyes feel much better.

There is however one downside to my particular Gunnars - comfort.  The shape of my nose is such that I have a hard time finding comfortable glasses.  I rarely wear sunglasses because they are so uncomfortable on my face.  And the Gunnars are no different.  At the end of the day my eyes feel great, but my nose is sore.  Last year I got my first corrective pair of glasses in my life - I ended up selecting a pair of Flexon frames.  These are the first ever glasses I can wear without pain on the bridge of my nose.

So would I recommend Gunnars?  That depends.  They're not cheap - expect to pay about $100 for non-corrective lens, more if you need a prescription.  So you will probably only benefit from them if you spend a lot of time in front of a computer.  If that's you, then I recommend trying them.  But don't do what I did which is purchase off their web page.  Instead, find a local store that sells Gunnars and go try them on.  That way you can find a pair that's comfortable on you.